Persecution of Dissidents by PYD reaches New Peak

Two days after the abduction and expulsion of the president of the Kurdish National Council in Syria (KNC), Ibrahim Biro, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) launched the next attack against Kurdish politicians and sympathisers of KNC member parties.

On Monday, August 15, the Asayiș – the security service of the PYD – arrested numerous activists and sympathisers of the Kurdish Union Party in Syria (Yekîtî) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party Syria (KDP-S) in al-Qamishli and Amudah. Among the abducted persons are two member of the politiburo of the KDP-S and two members of its central committee: Mohammed Ismail, Nashat Zaza, Abdul Karim Haji, and Nafi Abdullah. Furthermore, at least nine Yekîtî members were kidnapped by the Asayiș, including two members of the central committee (Hassan Saleh and Abdullah Cado), three members of local councils and four additional members.

All abducted persons were involved in the organization of the funeral ceremony for Rojava Peshmerga fighter Habib Qadri, who was killed in Iraqi-Kurdistan during the fight against the so called Islamic State (IS). The PYD armed forces attacked the funeral cortege and tore down the Kurdish flag.

On Tuesday, August 16, demonstrations criticizing the PYD took place in al-Qamishli, Amudah, al-Malikiyah (Dêrik) and al-Mabada (Girkê Legê). Everywhere the protests were attacked and demostrators arrested by the Asayiș and the YPG.
In the evening, four Yekîtî members in Amudah were set free – however, those still detained are said to be 28.

In the morning of Wednesday, August 17, further abductions of KNC members in al-Mabada (Girkê Legê) were reported. The KNC keeps an updated list of the abducted persons and tries everything to achieve their release.

The Kurdish National Council in Syria condemns the persecution of Kurdish politicians and political activists, and demands the immediate release of all political detainees in PYD custody.
The KNC calls on all Syrian activists, regardless of ethnicity and confession, and on the international community to take a public stance against the repressive practices of the PYD and against its large-scale violations of human rights in the areas under their control.

If we want to build up a free and democratic Syria, all stakeholders have to respect human rights and to comply with the rules of democracy.

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